Commissioner opposes county consolidation

With Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx pushing for the consolidation of governments in Mecklenburg County, at least one local leader is saying now’s the time to seriously consider splitting Ballantyne off into its own town.

County Commissioner Bill James, whose district 6 covers Ballantyne, as well as Pineville, Matthews and Mint Hill, said he would only consent to consolidation on two conditions: Ballantyne break off from Charlotte or shrink the size of the county by lopping off northern and southern towns.

James said he agreed with Huntersville’s vote earlier this month to oppose a study that would investigate merging city and county governments.

Foxx, along with County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts, has pushed to consolidate governments and services in the county. Foxx says the move, which could potentially save money by reducing redundancies in service.

Huntersville remains the only municipality that has publicly denounced the study.

Mecklenburg County commissioners are expected to vote on it in the coming weeks.